Being harassed by a cop can be a terrifying experience, especially as a young person. And with the current political climate in our country, this is happening more and more. Yes, they're there to protect and serve and some of them do their jobs, but what of the ones who don't?

Columbia grad student Arun Wilta was handcuffed last July for photographing a Manhattan subway station. In December the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the NYPD on Arun's behalf -- but the harassment continued. Throughout 2008, protests have sprung up from Brooklyn to London and more and more photos have been deleted and cameras destroyed in the name of "anti-terrorism."

The cops have apparently declared war on photography, so this really couldn't come at a better time: Berkeley Grassroots House and Copwatch are organizing the Know Your Rights and Copwatching Training workshops to teach students what their rights are as citizens in documenting police misconduct out on the streets. Considering the police have apparently already declared war on cameras, The events kick off tomorrow with a training session Saturday evening, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at 2022 Blake St.

Sure, these events will be full of more than enough dreadlocked, unwashed hippies, but I implore you to look beyond their awful smell. This stuff isn't just for anarchist politicos or eco-activists -- anyone who owns a camera could really benefit from this kind of knowledge.